Cloud-Based Automobile Recognition and Tracking System (CARTS) Using Plate Number
YEKINI N. NURENI, ADEDEJI W. OYEDIRAN OYANIRAN O. OLUMIDE 1
Computer Engineering Department YABATECH Nigeria Mechanical Engineering Department YABATECH Nigeria 3 Electrical Electronic Engineering Department Allover Central Polytechnic Nigeria Email:
[email protected],
[email protected] [email protected] 2
Cloud-Based Automobile Recognition and Tracking System (CARTS) Using Plate Number Detail 1
YEKINI N. NURENI, 2ADEDEJI W. OYEDIRAN, 3OYANIRAN O. OLUMIDE 1
Computer Engineering Department YABATECH Nigeria Mechanical Engineering Department YABATECH Nigeria 3 Electrical Electronic Engineering Department Allover Central Polytechnic Nigeria Email:
[email protected],
[email protected] [email protected] 2
Abstract - This paper presents a robust cloud-based Automobile Recognition and Tracking system method of license plate detection and recognition using cloud computing. Cloud computing is now an emerging tool in this era of internet proliferation. Cloud-based automobile recognition and tracking system (carts) is a cloud-based system for identify the vehicle and its owner by its license plate. This technology will be useful by law enforcing agencies as a method for tracking of automobile system used for criminal activities. Also traffic agencies and monitoring can use the system to track any vehicle against rash driving and, Check the registration history of a Vehicle i.e. basic information, including the registration expiry date, who the compulsory third party insurer is and when the policy expiry date is, find out additional information, such as if the vehicle has been written off or a stolen one, and also for sending a reminder to vehicle owner when their vehicle is due for registration. Keywords: CARTS, cloud computing, automobile number plate, electronic tracking, tracking system, traffic agency. I. Introduction As a result of increase in demand for automobiles individuals, family, business organization, and government; there has been a continuous increase in the number of criminal activities with the use of automobiles. Consequently there is need for each vehicle to be registered and given identification tag (plate number) so that each vehicle can be easily identified and tracked in case the need arises. License plates are used for identification of vehicles all over the nations so it is illegal for two vehicles to have the same license number. Vehicles are identify either manual or automatically. In this era of cloud computing, and massive proliferation of affordable computers, internet broadband connectivity has created a global phenomenon in which information and communication technology (ICT) is being used to transform organization activities. A cloud computing technique is now becoming popular day-by-day. Cloud computing is the use of computing resources (hardware and software) that are delivered as a service over a network (typically the Internet) for solving human problem. (Oludipe etal, 2014) Cloud-based Automobile Recognition and Tracking System (CARTS) is an online vehicle surveillance and recognition for identifying and tracking vehicles by their license plates. The system can be used for the purpose of effective traffic control and security applications such
as access control to restricted areas and tracking of wanted vehicles. This implied that every vehicles must be registered before been used in our country. Vehicle Registration in Nigeria has begun over 100 years ago and the records have been essentially manual which in turn has not help to raise the efficiency of general automotive services in recent years. Every state has vehicle registration agency. Our case study for this work is Lagos state. The state is selected because of its status as the economy nerve centre of the federal republic of Nigeria, and a state with largest number of automobile in the country. Within 2002 and 2011 alone Lagos state registered over 5millions automobile. See table 1 for break down. TABLE 1: Summary of Vehicle Registered in Lagos between 2002 and 2011 Source: Lagos Bureau of Statistics 2012
The Lagos state vehicle registration agency is the Motor Vehicle Administration Agency which is established through enabling Law of the Lagos State House of Assembly, drives the Lagos State Government’s initiative on transportation to ensure safety and security of lives and properties on our roads and thus promotes economic growth and development. The Agency’s assigned responsibilities include but not limited to formulation and implementation
of sustainable policies on Motor Vehicle Licenses and Regulations, Driver’s License, Auto and Auto Spare Parts Dealers Licenses, Riders Card, Temporary Vehicle Tag (TVT), Automobile Dismantling and Recycling (ADR) permit and Renewals and revocation of same. The agency has created a robust and reliable database on vehicle owners for planning and developmental purposes and also set the pace on which is being replicated by other states in the Federation as well as in some countries in the West African Sub-Region (MVAA 2007). Vehicle plate numbering has undergone several changes since it was introduced. The diagram figure 1 shows some vehicle plate number samples.
Figure 1: Nigeria Automobile Plate Number: Source: (Greg Gibson 2014)
Vehicle registration has several advantages which includes: the Vehicle Registration Enquiry that can be used to confirm vehicle details and registration status, and provided with the vehicle information such as VIN/chassis number, engine number, make, colour, body type, year of manufacture registration status (current, expired, suspended or cancelled) etc. VICROAD (2014). Vehicle registration detail can be used to trace the ownership of automobile system in case of accidents in which there is no survival and no other means of identify dead victims. Most of the previous vehicle license plate recognition systems perform classification of license plates based on segmented characters Khalifa etal (2007). The new approach presents in this work used cloud computing technique for recognition of the vehicle. In the proposed system, a robust database will be created for every registered automobile. The system will use appropriate techniques to query the database for recognition and tracking a particular automobile.
Aims and Objective of Study The aim of this research work is to design Cloud-based Automobile Recognition and Tracking System (CARTS) Using Plate Number Detail. If this system is implemented, the following objective can be achieved among others.
Reduce complexity in traffic management and control. Reduce cost of traffic control and management. Reduce criminal activities with the use of automobile vehicle since any automobile used for criminal activities can easily be track. Reduce rash driving and traffic offences. To develop a system that will allow for the generation and assignment of an infinite identification mark or number (that is, the vehicle plate number). It will prevent prospective buyer of used vehicle from purchasing stolen automobile.
Significance of Study The significance of this study is to help provide efficiency, effectiveness and improve competence in automobile recognition and tracking with the use of plate number. The importance of this study includes will includes: To expedite the efficiency of law enforcement in tracking vehicle used for criminal activities. To develop a method that will allow easy storage and retrieval of vehicle and owner’s registration information at any time in the future. To develop a highly accurate method of keeping detail of automobile registered in Nigeria. To determine the easiest and fastest way to access vehicle owner’s registration details. Scope of Study The application of this study is a must for any country that wants to be Information and Communication Technology inclined and ready to reduce the crime rate involving use of automobile. The scope of this study should be for vehicle registration agency in every states of federal republic of Nigeria. Problem Statement Presently, criminal records involve the use of automobile, and rash driving, other traffic offences has become rampart in current Nigeria situation. Consequently there is need for a complete solution to this menace to deterred the intend criminal with use of automobile vehicles II. The Proposed System A. The could-based Automobile Recognition and Tracking system method of license plate detection and recognition using cloud computing proposed in this study is basically divided into three stages namely data acquisition, System/database design stage, and database query stage.
Data acquisition stage: this will involve mainly the collection and filtering of data to be input into the system. The data will include automobile detail such colour, VIN, chassis number, model/year, type, maker etc. Ownership detail such as name, gender, place of work, home address, office address, next of kin, phone number etc.
System/Database design stage: this will involve the use of the cloud support programming language which is effective and efficient. The choice of programming language is PHP (Hypertext pre-processor) for server-side scripting, Action script and Macromedia Flash for media content authoring and MYSQL or any other suitable database query language as the backend database. MySQL is a RDBMS (which has a free community edition) that can be used to develop database application both locally and on the internet. MySQL is popular and used by many webhost online for storing data on the internet. Database query stage: the major input criteria for database query are the content of the plate number as shown in figure 1. III.
SYSTEM DESIGN
System design is the part where each element within the new system is structured in order to create and integrate the processes that meet the user needs and requirements. At the same time, system design must conform to the specifications and scope or boundaries established at the data analysis phase. All input requirements and expected output are identified and established. Design is both a process and a product. The creative process of system design is the transformation of a process into a solution, otherwise known as “System Design”. A. System Architecture and Data Flow Diagram This is a graphical representation of the flow of data through an information system. It mainly reveals relationships between entities by showing what data comes from where, where it is going to, as well as where it will be stored. The processes timing is not usually included in data flow diagrams. The system architecture/data flow diagram is shown in figure 2.
Users Log in detail
Users Admin Public TLEA
Mediator System
DB
Automobile Details
Users Parameters Users Environment
CARTS Environment
Figure 2: Proposed System Architecture and Dataflow Diagram B. Users Roles Specification
There will be three categories of users for the proposed system. Every user has to sign up with a unique users name and PIN, which will be used as log in detail for accessing the system. Roles perform by users are described as follows:
Administrator: this category of users will be an expert computer users and one with knowledge of web design and database management. He /she will be able to perform the following operations among others: manage users account, backup database, update database, and respond to TLEA request among others. General public: the user in this category can only search to confirm registration of any automobile, and also view the registered automobile detail excluded the ownership detail. TLEA user: Transport/ law enforcement agencies: These are the users that work with transport management/law enforcement agencies. These categories of users can perform all operations allowable for general public; in addition they can view the registered automobile ownership detail after an acceptable request from the system administrator.
IV. Pseudo code and flowchart for the Proposed System Pseudo-code is an informal way to express the design of a computer program or an algorithm. The aim is to get the idea quickly and also easy to read without details. It is like a young child putting sentences together without any grammar. The following are the pseudo code for the proposed system. Pseudo code for the Proposed System Begin User registration Log in Specify user category Admin Perform administrator operation General public Perform general public operation TLEA Perform TLEA operation Return Back to Home page Logout Stop
The pseudo code above is for the front end of the application system that enables each user to access the system and then perform the operations allowable in their category. The pseudo code is converted to the flowchart shown in figure 3. The flowchart gives the detail of operations that can be performed by the users. The flowchart combines the front end application and backend application for the system.
Start
Users Registration
Users Log in
YES
YES
Admin
NO
YES
Public
TLEA
Manage users account
Search for automobile
Search for automobile
Backup Database
Confirm Search
Confirm Search
Update database
View Vehicle Detail
View Vehicle Detail
Respond to TLEA request
Send Comments
View ownership detail
Respond to comments
Send Comments
Send Reminder to automobile owners
Start
Figure 3: Proposed CARTS System Flowchart
V.
Conclusion It is a known fact that criminal activities with use of automobile, rash driving, and traffic offences is becoming rampart in our nation. Most developed nations are spending heavily to overcome the problem associated with the problem. Many researchers have tried to have a lasting solution to these problems by trying to profound solution in different ways in like manner of this paper. Cloud-based
automobile recognition and tracking system (CARTS) is a cloud-based system for identify the vehicle and its owner by its license plate. In this era of internet proliferation the proposed system will be useful to inspect and track automobile system for most laws enforcement agency such federal road safety, VIO, immigration at border, custom etc. The use of this medium enhances easy access to vehicle owner’s information via internet. The system designed which make used of cloud computing technology will allow easy access to vehicles detail by using their plate numbers. With the used of this system the issues of vehicle been stolen or collected at gunshot, rash driving on our road, traffic laws and rule violation, and use of automobile vehicle for criminal activities will be reduced if not totally eradicated. References VICROAD (2014): Vehicle Registration https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/registration/buy-sell-or-transfer-a-vehicle/buy-avehicle/check-vehicle-registration. MVVA (2007): Motor Vehicle Administration Agency www.lagosstate.gov.ng/entities.php?k=227. retrieved October 15th, 2015.
Lagos
Enquiry.
State
Khalifa, O., Khan, S., Islam, R and Suleiman, A. (2007). Malaysian Vehicle License Plate Recognition, The International Arab Journal of Information Technology, Vol. 4, No. 4, pp359-364. Lagos Bureau of Statistics (2012): Motor Vehicles Statistics (2012) Lagos Bureau of Statistics Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos. Oludipe O., Fatoki O. K., Yekini N. A., & Aigbokhan E. E. (2014 Cloud-Based E-Learning Platform: From the Perspective of ‘Structure’ and ‘Interaction’ International Journal of Innovation and Research in Educational Sciences Volume 1, Issue 1. Pp 57-62. Greg Gibson (2014) Jim Fox/Picture: http://www.worldlicenseplates.com/Africa/nigeria retrieved October 22, 2015.
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